REVIEW: Come With Us to Try a NEW Disney World Steakhouse Before It Opens

A new restaurant is set to open at Disney World this summer!

Over at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, a new Michael Mina restaurant will replace Shula’s Steak House. This new celebrity chef restaurant is called Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina. We are so excited about this restaurant that we headed to another location to try out its menu before it makes its Disney World debut.

Background

Shula’s Steakhouse will take its last reservations on June 14th, 2025, and Bourbon Steak will open mid-summer 2025. There are multiple Bourbon Steak locations all across the United States, so we just had to try this restaurant for ourselves, ahead of the Disney World opening. We dined at the Dana Point location in Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Southern California.

Atmosphere

When you enter the restaurant, you are greeted by a hostess. As they walked us to our table, we passed through huge glass cases of wine and spirits. We were lucky enough to be given a beautiful table outside with a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. The best part? We dined during sunset!

But enough about that, what are we eating?!

Food & Drinks

To start, we ordered the Smoked Old Fashioned. You get your choice of Angel’s Envy Mina Private Barrel Bourbon or Whistlepig 10yr Single Barrel Rye. This drink is then mixed with sugar, along with Orinoco Bitters, and an orange peel. This drink is $64. The preparation of this drink is a show in itself; the bartender lights wood chips on fire to get the smoke going and then places the glass over the smoky wood chips, which allows the smoke to consume the glass fully. The bartender even stamps the logo of Bessy the cow into the ice block. The smokey flavor was so lovely, and we consider this to be one of the best Old Fashioneds that we have ever had.

We also ordered an Espresso Martini for $31. The espresso was incredible, and it had a nice fragrance. We found it to have the perfect balance of alcohol and espresso.

We started our meal with their famous Duck Fat Fries Trio, which is complimentary. A different sauce accompanies each fry flavor.

• The Pastrami Fries were served with ketchup, but this was not your average ketchup. It had a tart, vinegar taste. The seasoning was great, and it paired well with the ketchup.
• The Garlic Herb Fries were served with a Black Truffle Aioli. The aioli was creamy and had a good amount of garlic.
• The Dill Fries were paired with an Onion Crema. This was our favorite, as the sauce was rich and thick. It reminded us of a high-end tartar sauce.

For an appetizer, we ordered Michael’s Ahi Tuna Tartare, which was served with pear, pine nut, garlic, mint, and habanero sesame oil for $34. Both the hostess and our waitress recommended this. It was tossed together tableside, which allowed our waiter to explain the ingredients in depth. It melted in our mouths. It was sweet, savory, and spicy.

Now, it’s time for the main course, and you already know we had to try a steak! We went with the 8-oz Filet Mignon, which was $78. The filet was accompanied by a roasted tomato, and we were happy that our steak came out medium rare, as we requested.

You can add an enhancement trio of sauces for $12 or $5 for each sauce. You can choose from five sauces. We went with the trio and tried the Creamy Horseradish, Red Wine Jus, and Au Poivre. Out of the three, we really enjoyed the Red Wine Jus. It was thick and hearty. The Creamy Horseradish was a little too bland for us, and we wish there was an option to get raw horseradish for more of a kick. The Au Poivre was a peppercorn sauce, and it has a pleasant peppercorn aftertaste. We will say that the steak can stand alone without the sauces, but it was still fun to try!

We also ordered a few sides to accompany our steak. The Truffle Mac and Cheese is $21, and honestly, it was a bit disappointing. It was missing that truffle flavor. On the bright side, the creaminess was nice, and the noodles were cooked well.

The good news is that we also ordered the Brussels Sprouts for $17, and they were the star of the show! They were roasted perfectly and had a great crunch while staying soft on the inside. They were paired with a soy-lime caramel sauce, and we wish we could get the sauce bottled up to take home with us!

Of course, we had to end our meal with a sweet treat! We ordered two desserts, but our waitress was kind enough to treat us to a third.

The OC Candy Bar is $19. It has a peanut butter crunch, Valrhona chocolate brownie, and 24k gold flakes. This reminded us of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but elevated! We will be dreaming about this dessert for the rest of our lives!

Next, we tried the Warm Spiced Beignets for $18. This dessert came with Macallan 12-year, butterscotch custard, and confectioner’s sugar. Our waitress shared with us that during the cooking process, the alcohol in this dessert is not cooked out and remains full-proof. The beignets were so fluffy and you could really taste the Macallan.

As we mentioned, our waitress treated us to a third dessert: the Basque Cheesecake. This dessert is $17 and is served with roasted strawberries and a caramelized sugar crunch. This cheesecake was unlike any we have had before. The baking process allows for the outer layer of the cheesecake to be crystallized. The strawberries were not overly sweet or too soggy.

Magic or Tragic?

This soon-to-be Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…

• You want a nice meal. The prices on this menu are steep. If you are looking for a restaurant for a special occasion, this would be it.
• You are interested in sampling different spirits. The drink menu here is vast, and there are plenty of choices.

You should skip this soon-to-be Disney World spot if…

• You are looking for a cheap meal. While this is a table service spot, and the bill can be expected to be high, this is a fine-dining restaurant.
• You are looking for a quick meal. If you are looking for a quick meal between park days, you should consider dining elsewhere, as this is a table service establishment.

Overall, our meal here was incredible. The service here was impressive. The saying “you get what you pay for” could not be more true. This restaurant will make a great addition to Disney World, and we are looking forward to trying it again this summer!

In the meantime, we’ll be looking for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and more!

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What is your favorite Disney World restaurant? Let us know in the comments!

 

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